Mike Pence is languishing far behind Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the race to be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, according to polling.
While the former vice president has yet to formally declare his candidacy, he’s “expected” to do so soon, according to the New York Times, which spoke to “people close to Mr. Pence.”
Trump is the current Republican frontrunner, though he is beset with legal troubles. He has been charged with falsifying business records to cover up the payment of hush money to former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, which he denies, while a Manhattan court found the New York businessman liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll, in a civil case.
The New York Times reported that Pence will run for the presidency as a “classical conservative,” targeting evangelical voters with policies such as a federal abortion ban.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images; Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
A number of recent polls examining who would be Republican voters’ preferred 2024 presidential candidate, have found Pence is significantly behind Trump and DeSantis.
A Premise survey of 741 voters who “plan to vote in the 2024 Republican Presidential primary” found 58 percent support Trump, followed by DeSantis on 21 percent and Pence on 5 percent. All other potential Republican candidates were lower, with Texas Senator Ted Cruz polling 4 percent and ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley 3 percent. The poll was conducted between May 12 and 15.
An Ipsos poll of 1,642 registered Republicans, which took place from May 9 to 15, also gave Trump a dramatic lead over his potential rivals. The survey put the former president on 49 percent, followed by DeSantis on 21 percent ,and Pence with 5 percent. Other candidates, such as Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, all polled lower. The data was drawn from a larger poll of 4,410 U.S. adults.
A Morning Consult survey of 3,571 “potential Republican primary voters” produced the same top three candidates, with Trump on 61 percent, DeSantis with 18 percent and Pence in third with 6 percent. The survey was conducted between May 12 and 14.
According to CBS News a new pro-Pence super PAC, called “Committed to America,” is gearing up to launch with Bobby Saparow, an experienced Republican operative, as its executive director.
Pence fell out badly with Trump when he refused to back the then-president’s efforts to stop the 2020 presidential election result being certified, leading Trump supporters to chant “hang Mike Pence” as they stormed the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
In March, Pence told the Gridiron dinner in Washington that he had “no right” to overturn the election, adding Trump’s “reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.”
Trump is continuing to insist the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him via fraud, though his claims has been repeatedly rejected by multiple courts and election experts.
Newsweek has contacted Mike Pence for comment via email.